Lost Odyssey: Old is the New New (An Analysis of Story in Games: Part One)

[Nathan Grayson]

How many games have we seen that open with an oily, grimy battle of Lord of the Rings proportions? Don’t strain your brain on this one — just know that the number will soon equal the number of combatants in such battles. The reason for this mass replication should be obvious; giant battle scenes are really freakin’ cool. But guess what: so are many tools used in other mediums of storytelling. And like an admiring younger brother, videogames tend to piggy-back off their older brothers’ successes. Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but little bro’ isn’t so little anymore; he’s ready to come into his own. Soon, his stories will be unique and individualized, but right now, he’s going through that awkward, in-between phase. Lost Odyssey on the Xbox360 lives in that gap — residing on the same console as Portal, Bioshock, and Half-Life 2, yet still managing to exclusively utilize storytelling techniques from both film, and more impressively, literature.

Lost Odyssey’s overarching plot really isn’t all that impressive. Picture Final Fantasy VI, but with more politics. Basically, it’s a scrappy team of heroes versus a maniacal, back-stabbing manipulator dressed in funny clothes who constantly sucks-up to royalty. And I’m only getting started; the heroes include, among others, a young pair of twins clad in masterfully starched capes and collars, a spunky pirate girl, a lady-killer in thief’s (extremely flamboyant) clothing, and a brave yet stoic main character. But see, this is why Lost Odyssey is so surprising — these characters are beautifully crafted, and you’ll be enjoying them far too much to dwell on their initial stereotypes. For instance, Jansen, the hybrid thief/mage who’s sadly unconcerned with being eco-friendly, does exactly as you’d expect of his character. He’s money-hungry and womanizing at first glance, but soon, his rocky exterior breaks away, and a gleaming, golden heart finds itself bashfully clutching its revealed body. Even in the face of such an obvious character progression, however, you can’t help but love a guy who, when told that he wears-out too quickly, quips, “At least I don’t wear-out in bed!” And then there’s the hilarious interplay between Jansen and Seth (pirate girl) that only further exemplifies the playful spirit Lost Odyssey exudes. Continue Reading